| Daniel Hopkins is much better known in the graffiti and art worlds by his tag, “Pose 2.” A revered graffiti artist in his own right, Hopkins has also worked extensively with Philadelphia 's Mural Arts Program. He grew up in New York City before coming to Philadelphia in 1996 and moving into the row house across the street from the Hawthorne Center where he still lives today. He says he firmly believes in every citizen's duty to leave one's neighborhood in better condition than one found it, and saw the drab walls and buildings around the center as an excellent opportunity to do just that. |
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Hopkins' first project around Hawthorne was to take an empty lot across the street from the center and, with the permission of the owner, use the walls surrounding the lot as giant canvasses for his graffiti art. Years later the lot is still used by graffiti artists, who operate on an honor system to respect one another's work . A long wall next to the basketball court on the grounds of the Hawthorne Center is maintained in a similar way, with a semi-organized group of artists putting up new graffiti murals on a regular basis, although “we have a little more say as to the content” of the pieces there, says Hopkins. Graffiti doesn't have to be vandalism, Hopkins says, artists “just need the opportunity and place to express themselves.” Many of those whose use the lot today are former students of Hopkins from when he ran his “Graffiti as Art” classes out of the Hawthorne Center. |
| The program, which began in 2004, drew people of all ages and backgrounds who were interested in learning the various techniques involved in creating giant paintings with spray paint. Although the program has since ended, Hopkins still works with a small number of artists on an individual basis. Hopkins also helps host the annual “B-Boy Barbecue” event, which he started in his backyard as a way to gather people interested in graffiti and hip-hop. The event, which includes live graffiti painting, has grown so large as to attract corporate sponsors. While sometimes these sponsors are allowed to participate, Hopkins ' sense of social responsibility prevents certain companies from becoming involved. “We had Kools Cigarettes approach us,” he says of a previous event, “but we didn't think it would send the right message.” |
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